The lights are hung, the chimneys are warm and hopefully your shopping list is getting shorter. Now it’s time to take in some of the season with your best pals who have come home for the holidays – let’s celebrate Friendmas!
Bundle up and take to the mountain… Bays Mountain Park continues to be one of Kingsport’s most beautiful places to visit no matter the time of year. Even with a light blanket of snow, the park offers an easy hike around the lake and the scenery is that of a post card. So snap a photo with your besties and send it to all those who couldn’t make it to the party.
As you come down off the mountain, call ahead for your favorite warm and savory pie at Main Street Pizza. Take in the lights that adorn the streets of downtown as you head to pick up dinner. To make the most of your Friendmas time, grab your grub to go and make your way to Bays Mountain Brewing. Â Accompany your meal with locally brewed beer, live music, watch a game, play trivia or just tell stories from when you were all in high school. Your friends and even their pets are welcome.
Kingsport in December can even offer some weather to hit the golf course. Tee off Friendmas at Cattails at MeadowView, one of the premier courses in Tennessee, or if you’d prefer to stay inside but still hit the links golfAmplified is a real treat. Here you can play 18 holes on a simulator featuring a number of famous courses and even get some lessons from a pro.
If your crew is the creative type, you won’t regret checking out the Lemonade Candle Company & Candle Bar, Brixey Studios, where you can take pottery classes or create your own masterpiece, or Perfectly Unhinged, to make your own plant bar, soap or take any number of other classes. At Brushstrokes n ’More you can paint your own pottery, canvas, or board art while also enjoying your favorite beverage.
Are you and your friends foodies and love to cook? To increase your culinary skills, the Abingdon Olive Oil Company has a wide variety of wonderful olive oils, specialty vinegars, and spices and they’ll also give you a personal tasting tour. Looking for another great selfie spot (because you’ve only taken 50 so far)? Just a few blocks away is the Kingsport Carousel, which features a variety of hand-carved wooden animals on a menagerie-style carousel that will make for a memorable experience.
Need to see if the crew can still work well together? Take a trip to the Escape Room, which features three live-interactive adventure games where you race against the clock to find your way out of a locked room. Afterward, you can enjoy some downtime with drinks at High Voltage, Model City Tap House, or Gypsy Circus Cider Company, Tennessee’s Original Cidery.
If you just want to unwind before 2020 kicks off, Agota Springs is just what the doctor ordered. A full-service spa that sits on 120 wooded acres, you can escape for a few hours or an entire day while enjoying a massage, facial or any number of other spa treatments.
Friendsmas in Kingsport…. make more yearbook worthy memories. For even more details, check out Visit Kingsport.
Photo Credit: Bays Mountain, Main Street Pizza, Bays Mountain Brewing Company
